Azerbaijan, Baku, April 20 / Trend U. Ismayilova /
Azerbaijan will open a direct flight Baku - island of Crete (Greece) with the support of the Association of Travel Agencies, the Association president Nahid Bahirov said.
"The first flight of Baku-island of Crete will be made June 12 and will be carried out regularly once a week on Saturdays," Bahirov said.
He said that the price of ticket is fixed from 700 manat. The price includes the whole tour services - hotel accommodation, visa support, ticket price, insurance, etc.
Bahirov said that talks with the Greek side on the opening of direct flights were held by board members of the Azerbaijani Tourism Association - Xazar Travel, Improtex Travel and Sik Way Travel companies.
"The opening of a direct flight Baku - the island of Crete with the support of the association is the first step. The association is currently continuing to conduct such negotiations in several ways. New direct flights for winter tourism will be opened in autumn," Bahirov said.
The Azerbaijani Association of Travel Agencies was created with the assistance of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in January 2009. The board members include CEOs of Improtex Travel, Caspian Travel, Pasha Travel, Silkway Travel, Euroturizm.
The main activity of the association is to protect interests of tourism companies, work out bills, guidelines and regulations, help in establishing a national travel company, develop a plan to conduct training and workshops for market participants, create conditions for potential advertising and propaganda of the Azerbaijani tourism in international exhibitions, develop domestic tourism and present tourism products on the world market.
The objective of this organization includes the development and implementation of congress tourism, help in developing of professional training in management and services, create adequate taxation and regulate tourism, promote development of standardization, certification and licensing; effective cooperate with international tourism companies, create an official body, develop services in the field of legal advice, cooperate in the field of protection of the rights of tourism companies in the development of legal framework.